State Chair August, 2016
As per our Bylaws Article II, Section 1, the duties of the Chair are as follows: The State Chair shall be the chief executive officer of the Party, holding the powers of administration pertaining to the ordinary business affairs of the Party and such other powers as may be delegated by the Board of Directors. The State Chair may appoint such Party functionaries as a recording and corresponding secretary, an office manager, and an events chair. The State Chair shall compile, maintain and make available to the Board of Directors a publication listing all “Standing rules” and “Special rules” adopted by the Board of Directors. The State Chair shall specify the date and time of the next Convention at least 45 days before it is convened. The State Chair, or his or her designee, shall be the person who shall communicate on behalf of the Party. The State Chair shall file any amendments to the Party’s Constitution or Bylaws with the Secretary of State within fifteen days after such amendments are adopted.
Gary Johnson Victory Fund I propose we continue the $5,000 donations at no charge to the fund. Any funds above $5,000 require a FEC filing and those I propose we ask for ½ of the amount over $5,000. The max is $10,000 with the FEC filing, so our max amount would be $2,500 per donation.
Purchase Email Addresses Steven Forrester has a contact that can take the approx. 30,000 contacts exported from Nation Builder and link an email address to them. The company advertises a 2030% hit rate (not accuracy rate). The cost is $0.15/hit. At their estimates, the cost will be $1350 at a 30% hit rate. The LPCO will own the email address list returned and these will be imported into the database.
Boulder County Monthly Meeting I attended the Boulder Country Affiliate meeting. They have a good group there and they were interested in spreading the LP message to more avenues than via Facebook. I answered their questions in regards to the State Party.
Bylaws Committee Meeting I attended and gave my input. I’ll let the Bylaws Committee Chair provide the meeting information in their report.
Krista Kafer KNUS 710
Outreach Report July, 2016
Krista had a lot of information and was interested in having the LPCO do some interviews in regards to the Ballot Initiatives.
Respectfully Submitted, Jay R North
VICE CHAIR REPORT- August 8,2016
Setup Douglas County Fair outreach event.
Met with and collected 500.00 from donor for the purchase of GJ signs.
Attended Pathway of Self Governance class.
Attended and Chaired Douglas County Development Group meeting.
Made membership and information request calls.
Attended Constitution and Bylaws committee's first meeting.
Maintained the Douglas County Development Group Facebook page.
In Liberty,
Wayne Harlos
11757 W Ken Caryl Ave, F124, Littleton, Colorado 80127-3719, Tel. (303) 837-9393
LPCO Board meeting 8 Aug 2016
Treasurer’s Report John C Hjersman, Treasurer
As of 3 Aug 2016: PayPal balance was $3,106.12. BBVA Compass accessible balance was $7,065.67, plus $485.00 earmarked for NationBuilder and thus inaccessible.
In order to participate in the Gary Johnson Victory Fund, LPCO must be a Federal Elections Commission filer. FEC Form 1, Statement of Organization, was mailed to the FEC on 2 Aug 2016. If the Board approves LPCO participation in the Gary Johnson Victory Fund, I will update the Statement of Organization to reflect this association. FEC requires a discrete bank account for federal election activities. Pending Board approval to participate in the Gary Johnson Victory Fund, I will open one at a local branch of BBVA Compasss Bank here in Colorado Springs.
The donate button in NationBuilder was supposed to have been set up to require occupation and employer when the donation amount reaches $100, for required reporting to CO SoS. That information is being kept in NationBuilder but is not fed to PayPal as desired. It was learned during investigation that refunded contributions forfeit the .30 transaction fee. The contributor receives a full refund but LPCO pays the fixed portion of the transaction fee. PayPal does refund the portion of the fee that is based on transaction amount.
I request that any Board member who receives cash or check from a donor please email me with the date received, amount, and name & address of the donor. If the check is $100 or more, then I also need the donor’s occupation and employer. Please refer to the postscript in Treasurer’s Report July 2016 for a list of TRACER-accepted occupation names.
Filed the TRACER report for period ending 7/27/16 on 7/28/16. Next reporting period ends 8/31/16. That report filing is due six days later, 9/6/16.
NationBuilder shares that have been paid by affiliates and development groups have been moved from PayPal to BBVA Compass Bank (sub accounts in QuickBooks).
Manned outreach booth at the Tanner Gun Show on 7/16/2016.
Pg 1 Treasurer’s Report July 2016
Attended LP Boulder meeting on 7/21/16. Heard, via Skype, Sheilah Weinberg discuss truth in accounting. Her agency’s accounting shows just how incredibly under-reported the national financial oblilgations are (ultra massive debt).
Attended a Bastiat Society of Colorado Springs presentation on 7/22/16. The subject was “Free Market Environmentalism.” The Bastiat Society’s presentations are always interesting.
Pursuing an interest in doing bulk mailings at non profit rates, was advised by Outreach Director, Marie Cochron, that political parties may be authorized without regard to their nonprofit status. Armed with this information, I got a list of requirements for submitting an application, as follows: PS Form 3624 Copy of the By-Laws Copy of the Articles of Incorporation Financial Document (Can be an Annual Report or a P&L Statement) Copies of 2 separate board meetings Any other supporting documents such as fund raiser letters, newsletters or promotional materials. Mike Spalding says that the annual fee is $180. Pending approval of the Board, I will apply for non profit rates.
Respectfully submitted,
John C Hjersman I
Pg 2 Treasurer’s Report July 2016
Addendum
Mailed Form 8822-B, business change of address, to IRS in Ogden, UT 8/5/16 to establish current Treasurer as “Responsible Party” in the eyes of the IRS. Without this status, the IRS will divulge nothing about LPCO account, such as the address they have on file, who the responsible party is, whether or not we’ve registered as a 527, what our non profit status is, if we’re about to be audited, etc.
Reimbursed Caryn Harlos $119.88 via check for Hootsuite subscription.
Becoming a participant in the Gary Johnson Victory Fund necessitates becoming an FEC filer. FEC requires us to have a separate checking account for all Federal Election Activity that is reported to the FEC on a quarterly or monthly basis. As with our current checking account, Mike Spalding, Jay North, and John Hjersman are to be signers for this new checking account.
When registered to file with the FEC, upon electing or appointing a new treasurer, we have 10 days to file a new FEC Form 1 designating the new treasurer.
With the IRS, when the organization’s Responsible Party (usually Treasurer or Chair) is changed, we have 60 days to file Form 8822-B designating the new Responsible Party.
Pg 3 9:39 PM Libertarian Party of Colorado
08/03/16 Statement of Financial Income and Expense Accrual Basis January 1 through August 3, 2016
Unclassified TOTAL Ordinary Income/Expense Income Casino Night Registrations 315.00 315.00 Convention Donations 1,345.00 1,345.00 Convention Registration 5,444.77 5,444.77 Donations In-Kind Contributions 0.00 0.00 Donations - Other 12,509.50 12,509.50 Total Donations 12,509.50 12,509.50 Fundraiser Event 122.25 122.25 Total Income 19,736.52 19,736.52
Gross Profit 19,736.52 19,736.52 Expense Advertising/Promotional 4,676.24 4,676.24 Bank Charge 136.35 136.35 Computer Hardware 68.42 68.42 Services 122.87 122.87 Software 2,869.21 2,869.21 Total Computer 3,060.50 3,060.50 Credit Card Fees 651.50 651.50 Fundraising Expense 40.00 40.00 Legal-Prof Fees 360.00 360.00 Licenses and Permits 50.00 50.00 Mail boxes 192.00 192.00 Other Expense 102.00 102.00 Printing and Reproduction 228.44 228.44 State Convention Expense 9,242.40 9,242.40 Telephone 87.88 87.88 Travel, Bus 425.65 425.65 Total Expense 19,252.96 19,252.96
Net Ordinary Income 483.56 483.56
Net Income 483.56 483.56
Page 1
FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR REPORT, AUGUST 3, 2016
THIS POSITION IS VACANT.
Campaigns Director Report, August 2016
DUTIES AND POWERS
BY Art II Sec 4
ELECTIONS Typically, an email is sent out to all candidates asking for updates on their campaign. This did not happen in time for this report. Any updates below are from my own knowledge and a lack of an update does not necessarily mean that the campaign did not have one. Candidates: o State Representative Candidates . District 16 – John Hjersman . District 17 – Susan Quilleash . District 18 – Norman Dawson . District 20 – Judith Darcy . District 21 – Michael Seebeck . District 33 – Kim Tavendale . District 50 – Roy Dakroub . District 51 – Matthew Hess . District 54 – Gilbert Fuller . District 56 – Kevin Gulbranson . District 60 – Glen Ingalls . District 63 – Joe Johnson o State Senator Candidates . District 12 – Manuel Quintel . District 19 – Hans Romer . District 29 – Michele Poague . District 35 – William Bartley o United States Congressperson . District 1 – Darrell Dinges . District 2 – Richard Longstreth . District 3 – Gaylon Kent . District 4 – Bruce Griffith . District 5 – Mike McRedmond . District 6 – Norm Olsen . District 7 – Martin Buchanan Campaigns Director Report August, 2016
o United States Senator . Lily Tang Williams August 10 – Speaking at Pikes Peak Patriots Meeting in Colorado Springs. o Vice President . William Weld See Gary Johnson o President . Gary Johnson New Colorado Campaign Manager as of 8/3/16: Molly Sullivan Email: [email protected] Phone: (480) 452-5573 Vacancies: These campaigns may be filled if a candidate presents themselves o State House District 19 o State House District 24 o State House District 42 o State Senate District 10 o State Senate District 23 o State Senate District 26
SECRETARY OF STATE UPDATES
No updates or media relevant to the Campaigns Director were released in July.
COMMITTEES: Constitution and By-Laws Committee (Chair) o We held our first meeting on July 29. All members were present except Ralph and Mike, our Boulder and El Paso Affiliate Representatives, respectfully. We have some new proposals that have been added to New Business but are focusing, initially, on reviewing recommendations of the 2016 committee, but not discussed at the 2016 Convention. o Our next meeting is scheduled for 5pm on August 13. After that, meeting should begin occurring every four weeks until our report is submitted.
MISCELLANEOUS: Per Mike, we received the forms that need to be filed from the Johnson/Weld campaign. We must file them with the SOS by September 9 along with the electors form. The electors form will be completed by the end of the board meeting in August. I am beginning to build a spreadsheet for those interested in running a campaign in next year’s elections. It is an off year so there are a lot of local opportunities and we need as many (L)’s on the ballot as possible. This spreadsheet will be shared upon request. To date, I only have two people interested in running for office next year. Campaigns Director Report August, 2016
I am beginning to review other states Campaign Guides in order to put together a more up-to- date version for Colorado. Ours is extremely old and outdated. To date, I have not made much progress, but will pick up steam on this project after November. In July’s meeting, the board charged me with emailing the candidates to see if they would be willing or knew of neighborhoods which would be beneficial for LPCO to canvas with door hangars. No candidates responded to that email.
Respectfully Submitted,
Richard Longstreth Campaigns Director Libertarian Party of Colorado
Marie Cochron, Outreach Director, 2016 As per our Bylaws Article II, Section 5, the duties of the Outreach Director are as follows: Section 5: The Outreach Director shall be responsible for recruiting members, having speakers, conducting recruiting events, organizing and supporting student clubs and organizations at high schools, colleges, and universities and setting up and operating a speakers bureau.
Completed Events
Tanner Gun Show
Tanner Gun Show was relatively slow compared to past events, we only walked out with about 30 info requests for the entire weekend, but for the price of $90 it wasn’t too bad. On Sunday we had good coverage with some experienced volunteers so I took the opportunity to walk around with my “I want gay couple to protect their marijuana plants with guns” shirt on which is a great conversation starter, and something I was able to do without violating the request of Tanner, which was to stay behind our table (we were approached about being in front of our booth by one of the event organizers and asked to make sure we stayed behind the table, this had not been an issue at previous events and may be part of the reason we did not engage many people as in the past.) This also gave me a chance to do some networking and I spent probably 30 min speaking with the At this event we had Meghan Verlee from Colorado Public Radio and Susan Greene from the Colorado Independent stop but for interviews, which was exciting. The GOP candidate Scott Morris had a table at this event as well, but it was unmanned for the most part of this show.
Van’s Warped Tour
Van’s Warped Tour did not produce very many info requests, in my opinion part of this is due to a generational standard of privacy and an unwillingness to provide personal information. We did have several people take the quiz and quite a few who were already libertarian that just wanted some LP gear. We also had a visit from Quincy Snowden from the Aurora Sentinel, who was pleased with his response, so I am looking forward to that article.
Upcoming events
Douglas County Fair and Rodeo, hosted by Douglas County with support from LPCO
Carbon Valley Music Festival, hosted by Weld County with support from LPCO
Riot Fest, Hosted by LPCO
Outreach Report July, 2016
Pueblo Chili Festival, Hosted by LPCO (tentative, insurance purchased, application on hold due to a limited number of nonprofit spots available.)
Misc. Business
Attended the Libertarian Party of Boulder County Annual meeting
Contacted all new volunteer signups
At the July Board Meeting I was tasked with creation of an LPCO Brochure and Tshirt designs for both our volunteers and for a fundraising tool. I am happy to report, that with the help a Caryn Ann Harlos, Communications Director, that the tshirts are in print, and we will have a Brochure mockup ready for board approval on Monday.
Attended CSG level 2 class
Work at the local level has paid off, and the Mayor of Milliken is now a registered Libertarian.
Respectfully Submitted, Marie Cochron
Regions Director Report, August 2016
DUTIES AND POWERS
BY Art II Sec 3
COUNTY UPDATES Of the 64 counties in Colorado, 31.25% currently have a county contact for the LPCO, an increase of 3.125% from last month. Pikes Peak: El Paso, Park, Teller o El Paso County . Updated County Contact from Steve Kerbel (who is moving to Douglas County to Mike McRedmond) . Board Meeting: August 9 . Monthly Meeting: August 18 o Park County o Teller County . Monthly Meeting: September 7 o The Regions Director focused on this area for the month of February. Each county in this area now has a contact person and Facebook page. Upper Arkansas: Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Lake o Chaffee County o Custer County o Fremont County o Lake County o The Regions Director focused on this area in March. Each county does have a Facebook page. Only Fremont County has a contact. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Southeast: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Las Animas, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo o Baca County o Bent County o Crowley County o Huerfano County o Las Animas County o Otero County o Prowers County o Pueblo County Regions Director Report August, 2016
o The Regions Director focused on this area in April. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. San Luis: Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande, Saguache o Alamosa County o Conejos County o Costilla County o Rio Grande County o Saguache County o The Regions Director focused on this area in May. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. San Juan: Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, San Juan, San Miguel o Archuleta County o Dolores County . Josh Robertson named County Contact – He is still learning his role, so please assist in kind if he reaches out to you. o Hinsdale County o La Plata County o Mineral County o Montezuma County o San Juan County o San Miguel County o The Regions Director focused on expanding this Region in June. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Western Slope: Delta, Gunnison, Mesa. Montrose, Ouray o Delta County o Gunnison County o Mesa County . Made contact with a gentleman who may be interested in becoming the county contact. We are communicating via email to determine if it is a good fit for him. o Montrose County o Ouray County o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in July. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Central: Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Pitkin, Summit o Clear Creek County o Eagle County o Garfield County o Gilpin County o Grand County o Pitkin County Regions Director Report August, 2016
o Summit County o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in August. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Northwest: Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt o Jackson County o Moffat County o Rio Blanco County o Routt County o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in September. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Metro: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson o Adams County . Attempting to re-establish contact with Paul Lovato, county contact. I’ve received word he is unresponsive and the Facebook page for Adams has not published anything since he was made county contact. There is another person in the wings who is interested in taking the role. o Arapahoe County . Arapahappy Hour: August 16 o Boulder County . Several updates available by regular newsletter. Please reach out to Ralph Shnelvar ([email protected]) to be added to the mailing list. . Completed Annual Meeting on July 28 o Broomfield County . Kim Tavendale named County Contact o Denver County o Douglas County . Monthly Meeting: August 4 . Outreach Event: Douglas County Fair (Aug 5-7) o Jefferson County . Bi-weekly meeting: August 11 – Guest: Chris Hadsall, Candidate for HD23 o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in October. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Northeast: Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld o Larimer County . Next meeting scheduled for 3 pm, August 7 at 1933 Brewing Company o Logan County o Morgan County o Phillips County o Sedgwick County o Washington County o Weld County . Outreach Event: August 6 - Carbon Valley Music And Spirits Festival Regions Director Report August, 2016
o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in November. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director. Plains: Cheyenne, Elbert, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Yuma o Cheyenne County o Elbert County o Kiowa County o Kit Carson County o Lincoln County o Yuma County o The Regions Director should be focusing on expanding this Region in December. Each county does have a Facebook page. Please direct any volunteer who may be interested in being a county contact to the Regions Director.
BY Art II Sec 12 – Maintain Documentation
County Contact Directory County Facebook Feed
BY Art II Sec 13 – Attend Affiliate Board Meeting
As a reminder, if you attend a meeting, please let myself and Records know so that it can be recorded. The requirement per our by-laws is to attend an Affiliate Meeting. Eligible Affiliates Groups are in Boulder, Arapahoe, El Paso, and Delta Counties. Development Group meetings do not count. Affiliate groups are required to let the LP Board know of upcoming meetings. Board Members who have completed this obligation: o Campaigns Director . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on February 27, 2016. o Legislative Director . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on February 27, 2016. . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on April 21, 2016 . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on May 19, 2016 o State Chair . Attended Arapahoe Affiliate Meeting on February 21, 2016. . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on February 27, 2016. . Attended Boulder Affiliate Meeting on July 27, 2016. o Treasurer . Attended El Paso Affiliate Meeting on February 27, 2016. o Records Director . Attended Arapahoe Affiliate Meeting on July 12, 2016. o Vice Chair . Attended Arapahoe Affiliate Meeting on July 12, 2016. o Communications Director . Attended Arapahoe Affiliate Meeting on July 12, 2016. o Outreach Director Regions Director Report August, 2016
. Attended Boulder Affiliate Meeting on July 27, 2016. Board Members whose obligation has not been noted to the Regions Director as of July 6, 2016, 2016: o Regions Director (Position Currently Vacant) o Fundraising Director (Position Currently Vacant) o Membership Director (Position Currently Vacant)
COMMITTEES: The Regions Director is not currently on any committees for the Libertarian Party of Colorado.
MISCELLANEOUS: June 27: I have informed the County Contacts that if they create their local Facebook events and let me know, I will add their event to the state’s Facebook page. The response has been wonderful and showcases how active we are locally while helping the local groups advertise their events to a larger audience. This position is currently vacant and we are seeking a volunteer to fill this role on the Libertarian Party of Colorado’s State Board.
Respectfully Submitted,
Richard Longstreth Interim Regions Director Libertarian Party of Colorado
Legislative Directors Report August 2016
With the election cycle in full swing not much focus is on legislative issues.
I attended the Republican National Convention as a guest. Wow, was it eye opening. It created a deep appreciation for the openness, transparency and involvement of the Libertarian party delegates in the Platform, Rule and Bylaws process. I hope that will be a tradition the Libertarian party will continue as we grow and move forward. I was able to meet and have a brief discussion with US Congressman Thomas Massie, Kentucky, House Freedom Caucus member, and known as the most libertarian member of the US House of Representatives. He admired the fact a Libertarian was in attendance, willing to talk about Liberty issues and positions.
I will be meeting with David Aitken and we will be putting together a strategy for lobbying during the 2017 Legislative session.
Also during the 2017 Legislative Session I plan on volunteering with Principles of Liberty Colorado helping rate legislation.
I’m waiting for application approval for a table space at Pueblo Pride Fest, Sunday August 21st.
I have received the invitation for the 2016 Colorado State Fair Legislative BBQ, Friday August 26th; reception begins at 5:00pm, Dinner 6:00pm. The Cost is $65 per person with my Pueblo Chamber of Commerce membership. I need to have the guest names turned in by August 19th at the latest. I would like any of the board members who are willing to attend to do so. I will be bringing a motion before the board at the August 8th meeting seeking to cover the cost for any board member that attends. I will open my guest discount to any county affiliate members, LP candidates and any LP Colorado members that would like to attend. They will be responsible for paying me for their ticket.
Respectfully Submitted, Michael Stapleton Legislative Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
As per our Bylaws Article II, Section 8 the duties of the Legislative Director are as follows:
The Legislative Director shall be responsible for monitoring activity in the State Legislature, communicating with that body, developing issue oriented interest groups, and working with other organizations on areas of mutual concern.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR REPORT, AUGUST 3, 2016
POSITION VACANT.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR REPORT August 3, 2016
As per our Bylaws Article II, Section 6, the duties of the Communications Director are as follows:
Section 6: The Communications Director shall be responsible for all communications, such as a regular newsletter, web sites, multimedia, social media, press releases, media appearances, and media inquiries.
Social Media:
Robert Bentley and Matthew DiGi have continued to excel as volunteers. Robert has proven to be an effective manager of our Twitter messaging and provided the following to supplement my own report:
The Libertarian Party of Colorado Twitter account has the ability to provide outreach to voters across the state of Colorado. Twitter is a different type of social media platform that requires a unique approach. Ever since taking over the Twitter account for the LPCO we have seen our followers grow past 1,000. We are now seeing 4 scheduled posts every single day in addition to the typical 7pm events post. A lot of these posts have been liked and retweeted which helps grow the follower number and provide voters that alternative to the two party system.
As the we look to the future it is imperative that we continue to grow the Twitter following of the LPCO. It is a fast way to communicate ideas, plans, etc. Increasing the number of posts, the number of retweets will grow the follower number and reach more voters. This in turn will help Libertarian candidates all across the state.
As mentioned in my last report, the counties and development groups need guidance on effective Social Media management. I hope to conduct a seminar later this month open not just to our own affiliates but to any LP page manager that wishes to attend.
Our Social Media statistics are as follows:
1 Communications Director and Social Media Chair Report August 2, 2016
SOURCE LIKES/ FOLLOW REACH / / VIEWS CIRCLES
FACEBOOK 8/3/16 16,180 Facebook Insights not This is up 913 functioning (glitch)
TWITTER 8/3/16 1031
This is up 93
GOOGLE + 8/3/16 61 This is up 1
The Board is asked to routinely LIKE and SHARE the posts as it helps spread the reach and tweaks the Facebook algorithms. This is actually quite critical.
We remain at number 4 in the rankings but Texas (much larger population) is set to catch back up. I will continue to recruit for more Social Media Volunteers. The perfect additional team members are out there, I just need to find them.
These are the most popular posts:
2 Communications Director and Social Media Chair Report August 2, 2016
3 Communications Director and Social Media Chair Report August 2, 2016
Website:
The website continues to be a success and is being maintained primarily by David Aitken. David provided a summary of the website content which is attached as an Appendix to this report. I have reached out to several writers to start populating blog content which needs to be a priority.
Dee Hower was recruited to merge Nationbuilder database duplicates.
Media:
Jay North, Marie Cochran, and I were interviewed for Colorado Public Radio and several of our segments were used. I provided a copy of our logo for use in a collage by a California television news story which was used.
I have actively solicited applicants for our vacant Board positions and provided Committee announcements.
I fielded several calls from media to coordinate engagement as well as fielding phone calls from members and potential donors.
4 Communications Director and Social Media Chair Report August 2, 2016
Newsletter:
We have been doing regular email blasts instead of a newsletter but in reviewing old newsletters, I really think once we have the human resources to get back on board with this, it is definitely something to be investigated. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee are recommending that this duty be shifted to the Membership Director position.
Graphic Design:
I assisted Marie Cochran with the tshirt design and obtained permission for an orginal design to be used for the volunteer tshirts as well as recruiting and setting up a LPCO Design Team. Marie and I worked with the volunteers on produced a trifold brochure and bumper sticker.
Johnson Campaign:
I have been working with the Johnson Campaign in order to facilitate the purchase of the yard signs that were previously authorized. This has been a singularly frustrating experience. Additional details will be given verbally at the meeting. The Board may need to consider alternatives.
FURTHER INVOLVEMENT:
My involvement with the Party goes beyond my prescribed Board duties.
Douglas County:
I have functioned as the de facto Secretary for the Douglas County Development group and have been active in growth efforts and will be assisting at the Douglas County Fair Outreach Booth. I am beginning the move of their website to Nationbuilder.
Other Affiliates/Development Groups:
I attended the Arapahoe County Board meeting.
Caucus:
I am on the Board of Directors of the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus as the Colorado State Coordinator and am serving on their Bylaws Committee.
Additional Media:
5 Communications Director and Social Media Chair Report August 2, 2016
I was featured in a Reason piece on the Radical Caucus and appeared as the Libertarian Party advocate on the Theopologetics podcast to advocate for Christians to consider going thirdparty. I have been invited to appear on the Johnny Rocket podcast later this month.
Volunteer Recruitment:
I have been actively soliciting and developing LPCO volunteers.
Committees:
I was elected to the LPCO Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the Platform Committee (for which I was appointed to Chair). The Constitution and Bylaws Committee has had their first meeting, and the Platform Committee meeting is scheduled. I have been invited to serve on the Libertarian Advisory Committee for the Gary Johnson Campaign which meets weekly.
LNC/National:
Please see my LNC Regional report submitted separately.
Independent Political Report:
I am editor and report on Party news and issues. I have now also been added to American Third Party Report.
Respectfully Submitted, Caryn Ann Harlos Communications Director and Social Media Chair
6 LPColorado.org Web Content Summary
If you have suggestions for changes, additions, or deletions to the website, please let me know – David Aitken, [email protected].
Do we have minutes from past state conventions? How about past board meetings, including board reports and agendas? Some of this stuff really belongs at National. Are they archiving anything on the web? Do we get website statistics – counts of page visits, etc. Where should we put a link to our meetup group? What other organizations or sites should we link to? What other features should we offer?
Who We Are
Who We Are – Basic intro to libertarian philosophy Platform – State party platform Leadership – Current leadership – no history Constitution – State party Constitution Bylaws – State party Bylaws History – National party formation
Get Involved
Get Involved – Asks for volunteers Stay Connected – Asks if you want to be notified of stuff going on Events – Current Calendar Register Libertarian – Online or Mail-In County Groups – List of county groups with contact info Caucuses – Groups built around demographic or issues Activists – Tools for Activists National Resources – Libertarian Volunteer and other National publications – really good for volunteers, board members, candidates, and activists County Fairs – List of county fairs and other outreach events with links Newsletter Events Form – Submit events for calendar Other Organizations – Organizations we probably have something in common with Alternative Media – List of media outlets and blogs that show support for limited government Find Voter Info – links to locating voter information including districts and candidates
News/Issues
News/Issues – Articles from the Communications Director Press Releases – Press Releases to the News Media Videos – Videos of general interest Newsletter Archives – Past issues of national and state publications – really good for volunteers, board members, candidates, and activists Board Records – Agendas, Board Reports, Minutes, and Video of board meetings Donate
Donate – General donation plea and links to donation pages One Time – Make a one-time donation here Monthly Pledge – Make a monthly pledge here Mail In – Pdf form
Candidates
Candidates – List of current candidates and contact info – no history Run For Office – List of reasons to be a candidate Campaign Tools – Tools for Candidates Secretary of State link On the Issues – A site for federal candidates’ positions on the issues Messaging – how to frame your issues vs your opponents - video How to talk to leftists - video Campaign Ideas – some ideas for candidates to run on
Board Report Records Director August 2016
Verified library distribution opportunity.
Found Gary Johnson Libertarian signs (bringing them to the meeting).
REGION 1 REPRESENTATIVE REPORT August 3 2016
I sent out a summary of the key point of the July 17, 2016 LNC meeting in my Regional Newsletter, which I will repost here:
Next (or Additional) LNC Meeting: The next meeting was moved forward one week until th December 1011 in Alex andria Virginia. Starchild moved for an additional meeting between now and then which failed. I supported that motion. If possible, I will be reviving this request, but for an electronic meeting, particularly since we ran out of time before we could discuss LNC goals.
Dr. Marc Feldman: The LNC observed a minute of standing ovation in respect for the services for Liberty of the late Dr. Feldman whose vacant AtLarge seat now needed to be filled.
Filling the Vacant AtLarge Seat: At the National Convention, the elections for internal Party nonofficer elections got the short shrift, which, as I understand, is a recurring problem. I am determined that this problem be addressed. While our Presidential and VicePresidential nominations gain us national attention and cannot be underestimated, the nuts and bolts of internal Party governance between these events should not be treated lightly. People do the Party the honour of investing time and resources into campaigning for these positions, and we owe them, and the delegates, proper elections. At this past Convention, these elections were rushed and incomplete. Firstly, the candidates for AtLarge (and Judicial Committee) were only given mere moments for nominating speeches so that many delegates were left in the dark as to why they should vote for any particular person, and secondly there was only time for one round of the Approval Voting process. Due to these deficiencies, we were left with three AtLarge seats to fill after the convention as only Sam Goldstein and Bill Redpath received over 50% in the first round. Please see attached vote total sheet:
Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
We decided at that time, though imperfect, the best way to fill the remaining three seats was to take the next three highest votegetters, namely Marc Feldman, Starchild, and Daniel Hayes (Darryl Perry declined). I approved of this method. Soon thereafter, Dr. Feldman passed away leaving an open seat. I note that nothing had changed between the time we used the method of taking the next in line until this time other than the passage of a few weeks, so I advocated following that same protocol. If we did not, I was concerned about several things: Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
1. Was our selection of Marc Feldman, Starchild, and Daniel Hayes legitimate?
2. Will the LNC take responsibility for the fact that these rushed and incomplete elections were ultimately our fault?
3. While I do not impute whatsoever any ill intent on the part of my current colleagues, we must avoid the appearance of impropriety, and an LNC, could, in theory, make sure that we don’t have proper elections which would then de facto empower itself to appoint a good number of its own members. While that might follow the letter of our Bylaws, it tramples on its spirit.
4. The Convention was a mere seven weeks prior. Why should we consider anyone who didn’t even run for the position and submit themselves to the scrutiny of the delegates?
Therefore I advocated Jennifer Werther for the AtLarge seat as she was next in line. I was defeated in that motion, and nominations for appointments were solicited. I then advocated for Ms. Werther based on her qualifications for the position. The Body decided to elect Joshua Katz, a very qualified candidate. I note a further problem with this route: if we were to take nominations, then this position should have been advertised Partywide via email and the LP.org site so that every qualified member would have had notice to apply not just those familiar to the seated LNC at that moment. Mr. Katz's election leaves Region 8 without an Alternate (as he formerly filled that role). It was speculated that Larry Sharpe might be selected by the Region 8 State Chairs for that role.
I have resolved that as much as I can influence future planning, nonofficer Party elections will not get shortchanged and that this decision of the delegates will remain in the hands of the delegates. There were no clearcut right and wrong answers here, and the best solution is to make sure this unfortunate situation does not happen yet again.
Gary Johnson Campaign: Ron Nielson came to discuss various concerns with the LNC. It was noted that the campaign has said things that have alienated or upset certain portions of the Party base and have been perceived to be offmessage and offplatform. Mr. Nielson acknowledged this and stated that the Campaign was open to seating an “advisory committee” comprised of more radical Party members to assist the campaign with these issues in an effort to unite the Party. I advocated for this committee and voiced the concern that the campaign signage should prominently feature the word “Libertarian.” I also volunteered to serve on this committee as a member of the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus.
Nielson reported success in various polls including CNN polling at 13% and an online poll in Utah at 54%. They have hired 35 new staffers and added about 40 fulltime volunteers with a goal of getting to 15% by Labor Day in order to be included in the Presidential Debates. They are planning to be at both old party conventions. They are presently targeting states that have Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
large numbers of independents including Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and possibly Oregon and Iowa. Minnesota may be on the radar due to the recent Ventura endorsement. Their strategy is to show momentum in key states and focus on the Electoral College so as to the throw the election to the US House.
All in all, it was a very encouraging, lively, and productive meeting with Mr. Nielson.
Other issues were taken up in Executive Session.
It is expected that the Joint Operating and Fundraising agreements may be finalized by the LNC within the next few days. After that time, Chair Sarwark will consider having the Party attorney draft an advisory letter on the Joint Fundraising Committee agreement for the affiliates.
Katz Resolution: Joshua Katz introduced a resolution that that unless something is very narrowly and hyperliterally specifically against our Platform, our committees should be giving our candidates the benefit of the doubt. While this seems at first innocuous, my position, particularly as a member of the Advertising Publication and Review Committee, was that this was a backdoor way to tell committee members how they must interpret our platform and our guidelines rather than allowing them to use the judgment that they were appointed to use, in short, by resolution declaring one method of interpretation “right and in good faith” and another “wrong and not in good faith.” I found this highly objectionable, as did several other LNC members including Vice Chair Vohra. I stated to the LNC that all members of this Body and any of its committees should all be presumed to be acting in good faith when carrying out the fiduciary duty of our elected and appointed roles which would include supporting our candidates in good faith within the dictates of our Party principles, and judgment, and that anyone who could not do that, should not be on the LNC or its committees. To presume that someone’s interpretative method or judgment was per se bad faith at worst, or uncharitable at best, is improper. That resolution failed.
I promise to you that I, when in my role as your Regional Representative, will always act within my fiduciary duty to further the best interests of the Party. My duty in this role is to protect the Party and its principles and to support our candidates as they espouse and promote our principles and our Party. The Party has done an excellent job of this. The amount of earned media and promotion we have done for the campaign is something I am very proud of. Gary Johnson is making history before our eyes.
Alternate Participation: The Chair was very liberal (as was the Committee) in allowing input from Regional Alternates, this time, Aaron Starr, Alternate for Region 4. Mr. Starr offered many valuable contributions and in fact wrote a motion that I introduced that passed handily; thus this is nothing against Mr. Starr. However, I am concerned that this is disadvantaging other Regions whose Alternates are not attending, particularly because attending meetings was never understood to be an obligation of an Alternate unless the Regional Representative could not be present. In effect, Region 4 is getting two voices in debate, though not two votes. As such, as Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
long as such liberal allowances are in place, I am encouraging our Alternate, Steven Nielson, to attend as many meetings as he can with the understanding that this is an extra and unexpected burden that he did not bargain for. But I do not wish for Region 1 to have less voice than another Region.
On this subject, all that our Policy Manual states is thus: http://www.lp.org/files/20160526_LNC_Policy_Manual.pdf
1) Participation by LNC Alternates at Meetings Free substitution of Alternates for Regional Representatives at LNC meetings is permitted.
…with a referenced endnote that states: Normally, alternates may only fill vacancies, not absences. However, Bylaw 8.1 authorizes the LNC to delegate its authority to others, otherwise only members could participate in meetings. In the absence of this rule, the only role for alternates would be voting in mail ballots, in accordance with Bylaw 14.
Budgeting: An additional $7K allowance was added to account for bringing on Rachel Mills (formerly of the Ron Paul campaign) for press releases and the like.
Membership: Wes Benedict reported total duespaying membership of about 17K, which started turning towards the upswing in February. This is fantastic news for Party growth, and I will report further as membership reports are released throughout the coming months.
Audit Committee: The nonLNC members of the audit committee was populated by Dr. Joe Buchman (my nominee) and Julie Fox. The appointed LNC member was Aaron Starr.
Affiliate Support Committee: The LSLA appointees were Leigh LaChine, C. Michael Pickens, and George Phillies. As per our Policy Manual, Chair Sarwark selected LNC AtLarge member Daniel Hayes as the Committee Chair with the additional LNC appointees being David Demarest, Patrick McKnight, and Steven Nekhaila.
Convention Oversight Committee: Postponed until December meeting.
Awards Committee: Postponed until December meeting.
Platform Committee and Bylaws Committee: It was suggested that these be populated at the December meeting and such will be advertised. Anyone seeking an appointment should contact me with their letter of interest and qualifications.
Ballot Access Committee: We are in the home stretch with the below chart reflecting our current status.
Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
I encourage the entire Board to follow the LNC discussion listinstructions will be in the regional newsletter.
Alabama: Paul Frankel reports they may be done earlier which is great news.
Connecticut: They presently have about 5,400 gross signatures towards the 7,500 valid signatures needed. The validity rate is running at about 80%. Since their August 10, 2016 deadline is eight days after New York, signature gatherers will show up for that last burst.
Iowa: They presently have about 1,000 gross signatures towards the 1,500 valid signatures needed.
Kentucky: They need 5,000 valid signatures by September 9, 2016.
Massachusetts: They are essentially done.
New Hampshire: This is the “hair on fire” emergency state as almost no effort has occurred, and Sarwark reports that they are starting late from a dead stop. The main problem is taking away from other drives with the same August 10, 2016 deadline. They need 1,500 valid signatures per district (3 districts) for a total of 4,500 valid signatures and only 138 signatures have been collected. The Johnson campaign is sending Chris Thrasher to assist.
Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
New Jersey: There is a August 1, 2016 deadline to collect 800 valid signatures. This should have been done with volunteers, but now they are paying out of state funds for signatures.
New York: At the time of the meeting there were 18 days left to get 15,000 valid signatures with about 10,000 gross collected. They need to collect about 1,000 signatures a day for the remainder of the drive.
Ohio: They had to decided between a Party petition requiring 30,000 valid signatures or an Independent petition requiring 5,000 signatures, and the LNC decided to go with the former. Validity had previously been bad but is improving.
Rhode Island: They need 1,000 valid signatures. A Motion was made and passed to allocate $1,000 to assist them with outreach events to obtain these signatures. There was some opposition to this Motion, but I supported it upon hearing that the Rhode Island Party was in danger of extinction. That is something we simply cannot allow to happen to any of our affiliates.
Virginia: They presently have about 5,000 gross signatures towards the 5,000 valid signatures needed.
Washington: There is a July 23, 2016 deadline to collect 1,000 valid signatures with about 1,600 gross already collected.
Washington DC: Mr. Redpath stated that petitioning in DC is harder than anywhere else as everyone walks on by with earbuds on and ignores you. So far they have gathered 1,150 gross signatures.
We are down to mere days in multiple states, and it is time to spend what is needed. Redpath stated that there may not be time to authorize the funds needed via Executive Committee; however, that is our procedure to ensure fiscal oversight and transparency. I offered a comprise motion (written by Starr and presented to me) that would authorize the Chair to spend up to $50,000 without being subject to Executive Committee Authorization on “can’t wait” needs. This motion passed without objection. It is noted that the Johnson campaign has another $100,000 to spend on ballot access, and we need to ask for it. An additional $7,500 to pay for overruns in Illinois was also passed without objection.
National ReRegistration Week: Region 5 Alternate Trent Somes pitched a plan to encourage youth to reregister as Libertarian. He will be working on a proposal with a budget and will be consulting with Dr. Lark.
LNC Counsel: A contract amendment was requested by counsel which mathematically is a much better deal for the LNC for its legal work (average $100 for an attorney which is astonishingly low). I voted in favour. Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
LPedia: This is a wiki that has languished under the control to the LNC for well over five years. I argued that our failure to maintain and preserve such things is one reason we have such poor institutional memory. The LSLA offered to take it over and bring it back to life. There were objections to this arrangement which I humourously likened to a guy who has had a girlfriend he ignored for years until she decided she wanted a new relationship and then all of a sudden was interested again… to laughter and applause. I have no preference if this goes to LSLA or if the LNC maintains it, but we need to take preservation of our Party history seriously. This item was referred to the IT Committee to explore what it would take to wall it off and maintain it internally. Like most items referred to Committee, this is in danger of falling into the outer institutional darkness. I will not allow that to happen if I have any say in that. I will be asking for an update from the IT Committee on this in two months.
Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
Region 1 Report: This was another humourous moment of the meeting where my superduperlarge research notebook become of the subject of many comments, and it was mentioned that my 41page report might be the longest Regional report ever turned in. More seriously, as promised I expressed to the LNC the feeling that the affiliates that have secured ballot access or continue to secure it on their own seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to LNC investment, and that I intended to make sure that the states in my Region do not find themselves in that position. During the period prior to the LNC meeting I had asked, on behalf of Colorado, for assistance in funding an Outreach event that drew in national (even international) attention and news. This motion was defeated, but it helped to spark a discussion about how the LNC can more evenly spread out its investments, perhaps in investing in key or high profile races as well as events with national reach.
These discussions led to my moving that the Affiliate Support Committee be granted $10,000 to develop protocol and guidelines for funding items that fall into those general categories at their judgment. This motion passed, and the Affiliate Support Committee committed to transparency in this process.
Assemblyman Moore of Nevada: Tim Hagan brought a motion asking for the LNC to contribute $10,000 to the campaign of Assemblyman Moore. This was an extraordinarily tough decision. One of my main questions was: Does Nevada get ballot access money from the LNC? And the answer was no. I shared the sentiment of Chair Sarwark who stated: “I have talked to other legislators who are considering switching to Libertarian. One of the questions asked of me is, “Is there any support for me if I do this?” I have never, ever promised money. There is a signal that is made when the party stands with someone who takes this kind of risk. We want more of those. I will vote yes to this motion.”
We have to start supporting candidates more than we do. Right now, we ask people to take risks, and we leave them to sink or swim. We cannot assist everyone, but that shouldn’t mean that the default be that we assist known. I did take the opportunity to bring candidates from my region that are needing LNC support such as Cean Stevens of Alaska and stated that if I knew this would be on the table (there was no previous notice) I would have had requests of my own. Concern was raised that this would open the floodgates with no guidance criteria. Chair Sarwark suggested that perhaps a Motion should be made for a Candidate Support Committee that could be empowered to make these kinds of searches and decisions. I heartily agree and will be working with several other LNC members to try to make this happen.
Log Cabin Republicans: I presented the request from Region 1 member Emily S. Goldberg for the LNC to officially reach out to the Log Cabin Republicans due to their expressed concern at the religious content being proposed to be added to the Republican Party Platform, perhaps through advertising in LGBT magazines. A resolution was passed that overtures would be made, the form of which would be at the discretion of the Chair.
Region 1 Representative Report August 3, 2016
I encourage all members and Board members to follow the LNC discussion list here: http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lncbusiness_hq.lp.org/2016/date.html
Major Subjects on the LNC list:
Committee Transparency Contract with Johnson Campaign Potential September Web Meeting Increasing Branding Budget
I note that draft minutes are available for the 2016 Convention.
Since the LNC meeting, I have been keep the members up to date through the Regional information site and Facebook group. I have also attended several affiliate board meetings (I will attend any meeting I can) and solicited the data dumps from the State Chairs in order to invite Region 1 members to the mailing list.
Respectfully Submitted, Caryn Ann Harlos Libertarian National Committee, Region 1 Representative